Month: February 2016

OKC Thunder 121 — New Orleans Pelicans 95

On a night when neither team really wanted to play this game, OKC’s Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans by a score of 121-95. It was a game which was uncomfortable to watch given the death of Ingrid Williams and the obvious pale it thrust over players from both teams. In a more perfect, humane world, NBA Commish Adam Silver would have postponed this game and rescheduled it, but this was not to be on a night when this was the opening game on the TNT Thursday night broadcast.

Players from both teams professed their love, respect, and concern for Monty Williams. It was a raw, emotional night for Kevin Durant and Ryan Anderson and pretty much all of the players from both teams in that Monty Williams was the New Orleans coach the previous five seasons.

From a human view it was a testimonial to the type of person Monty Williams is and the respect he commands from the players.

The best thing about this game is that it’s over and behind both teams as they head into the All-Star break.

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were efficient and much too much for this New Orleans team to hang with given the night and the season.

OKC improves to 40-14, while New Orleans under first year Pels coach Alvin Gentry will somehow try to salvage something of a so far disastrous season after the break.

 

Mike Jackson

In the grand scope of life, what the Williams’ family is going through currently makes this game pretty shallow and meaningless all things considered. As a father of only one child, I cannot fathom all the feelings Monty Williams and his children are encountering in the aftermath of this tragedy. I’ve never met Monty Williams, but he seems like a very good guy. One thing Monty Williams and his family are getting ready to learn is the genuine decency of people in Oklahoma. Oklahoma isn’t perfect by any stretch, but it is the inherit inner strength of Oklahomans which make this a great place to live and raise a family. I’m sure Oklahomans will do everything possible to help the Williams family get through this the best they can.

Horrible news for the OKC Thunder family as Ingrid Williams, the wife of OKC Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams, has passed away from injuries sustained in a multi car crash in south Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Monty Williams is in his first year of coaching as Billy Donovan’s head assistant coach. Williams was the New Orleans Pelicans’ head coach the previous five seasons.

Ingrid Williams, 44,  is survived by her husband and five children… Lael, Faith, Janna, Elijah, and Micah.

All prayers and thoughts are with the Williams’ family.

I love Barkley. He was born in Alabama and played at Auburn before entering the NBA. Actually, a very bright guy when he’s not clowning it up on the TNT set. He’s even considered running for governor of Alabama. Thought his views on the election were extremely interesting. Great interview.

OKC Thunder 122 — Phoenix Suns 106

OKC’s Thunder appeared to share my indifference towards the Phoenix Suns tonight, and who could blame either one of us as Phoenix entered tonight having lost twenty-two of their previous twenty-four games. The Suns best two players Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight weren’t available, plus the Suns fired their coach Jeff Hornacek not long ago. So it’s not a shock OKC sleepwalked through almost thirty-four minutes of play before waking up late in the third period then getting it together enough to register a 122-106 win over the depleted Suns.

I think this is one of those games where you realize OKC was somewhat hung over from the Golden State loss. This isn’t a game to read much of anything into.  Thankfully it’s a win for OKC and they improve to 39-14.

Kevin Durant went 32, 6, and 3 and is my No. 1 Star of the Game. Russell Westbrook didn’t triple double, but did go 29, 8, and 8.

Three other Thunder players scored in double figures. Waiters with 15 points and 4 assists, Kanter with 11 points and 6 rebounds, and Cam Payne with a nice 11, 4, and 4 game.

Thunder host New Orleans on Thursday night in their last game before the All-Star break.

Early voting results are coming in from New Hampshire as I type. Go John Kasich!

 

I can’t lie and pretend to be even remotely excited about this game. I’m spent. The Super Bowl was awesome. Storybook ending. Add to the fact, I was fairly stoked about the Thunder-Golden State game on Saturday evening as well. Like these elite athletes, it’s tough for me to be emotionally up three nights in a row. I could care less about these Phoenix Suns, they’re wretched heaped on top with scoops of horrific and feeble, but that only means either Devin Booker or PJ Tucker will probably both have career nights against the Thunder.

The game on Saturday was pretty much what Vegas and I thought it would be, namely OKC losing by anywhere from 7 to 11 points. Some of the younger more inexperienced bloggers at homer sites like Daily Thunder claim there was a significant moral victory in losing by eight to the Warriors on a night when Curry and Thompson both had bad shooting nights. These are the nights you have to choke the Warriors and steal a win, not claim a moral victory. OKC just wasn’t good enough, and did I mention Festus Ezeli didn’t even play.

I’m going to cut to the chase because I’m tired and  want to finish this book I’m reading before tip, which is btw Killing Reagan by Bill O’Reilly. I want to get it finished before the New Hampshire primary. Excellent read, extremely well written and researched. If only the swarmy Marco Rubio knew the truth he’d quit evoking the name of Ronald Reagan every time he goes into full Bubble Boy mode. That was my inner Maureen Dowd in case you’re wondering.

Back to the Thunder. Here’s what I took out of the game Saturday night. Durant and Westbrook may even be better than I originally thought. They were awesome despite the three consectutive murky possessions when the game was tied 104 all. Serge Ibaka was basically invisible and may need to have his role reduced when these two teams meet next.

Adams and Kanter were both excellent. Both can finish on the pick and roll with Westbrook and that’s what OKC has to do to punish the Warriors when they go small.

Dion Waiters was a non-factor. Cam Payne got eaten alive by Shaun Livingston and may need to have a very minor role against Golden State once Roberson gets back. Payne was exposed in this matchup. Neither Kyle Singler nor Anthony Morrow made a shot between them. So what I’m saying is OKC’s bench is the reason OKC lost the game, not those three possessions. Unless Sam Presti has some trade in mind I can’t think of–OKC has a problem, and the problem is Golden State is better than OKC 3 thru 10 on the respective rosters. Truth hurts, but there it is.

So basically, OKC has thirty games left to get better in a significant way if they want to seriously contemplate beating these Warriors if the two meet in the Western Conference Finals.

End of preview.

 

Uhmm, since there was no need for Cameron Newton to do any of his dancing yesterday, somebody needs to be dancing. Just sayin.

MVP Von Miller and Demarcus Ware smothered Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers as the Denver Broncos won the their third Super Bowl championship. In the process, Peyton Manning wins his second career Super Bowl, 200th career win, and the perfect fairytale ending if he so chooses.

Manning will now climb into my tier of the top five quarterbacks of all-time along with Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Dan Marino, and Roger Staubach.

Congrats to Peyton and Denver’s awesome defense for a memorable Super Bowl.

 

I was gratified to see my favorite Super Bowl commercial win the Best Ever Award last night. I loved it the first time I saw it and cried again last night. Beautiful ad.

Have no favorite team today. Just want to see a close game where both teams play well.

Golden State Warriors 116 — OKC Thunder 108

On a night when Steph Curry struggled with his shot, Golden State allowed OKC’s Thunder back in the game after blowing a twenty point lead. But the Warriors showed why they’re defending champions in the game’s final minutes of play. After an Enes Kanter basket tied the game at 104 apiece with 3:33 remaining, the Warriors made all the plays you’d expect a team of championship character to make on their home floor in claiming a 116-108 win over the Thunder.

While it was stirring to see the Thunder fight back from twenty down, it was pretty much the same old story for OKC in games against elite competition in the final two minutes of play. After getting the basket from Kanter, who was very effective in the second half, OKC went three straight possessions where the ball never went inside to Kanter  even though Bogut was sitting and the Warriors had gone small. Why pay a guy $17 million if you’re not going to use him when he’s doing exactly what you’re paying him to do and the matchup is perfect for him to keep doing it?

Curry hit a layup. Klay Thompson hit a long two at the 1:04 mark. Then Curry pretty much sealed it with another jumper with thirty-three seconds left in the game.

It was night when Steph Curry was missing shots going 10-26 from the field and 1-9 from beyond the arc, but in the end it didn’t matter because Golden State found a way to dig deep and win the game.

Curry finished with 26, Harrison Barnes 19, and Klay Thompson 18. Even though Curry didn’t have his A game, he made the plays, his team won, and consequently he’s my No. 1 Star of the Game.

Golden State improves to 46-4 which ties the ’66-’67 Philadelphia Sixers for the best ever record after 50 games. Add to the fact, it was the Warriors’ 41st straight home victory.

OKC showed glimpses here and there for the most part, but played the role of an eight point Vegas road underdog to perfection as they put themselves in a position to win the game then withered with three possessions littered with bad shot selections. But it is what OKC is and apparently what they’ll always be. For three straight possessions with OKC playing big and Golden State playing small, not once did the Thunder make the Warriors pay for having Draymond Green playing center with Kanter and Ibaka both on the floor.

Durant had a 40 point, 14 rebound game and was scintillating at times. Westbrook went for 27 points and 12 assists. Serge Ibaka, ostensibly OKC’s third option had 7 points and 3 rebounds. Circle that.

But on a brighter note both Steven Adams and Enes Kanter played very well under the pressure of the big game setting. Kanter had 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Adams was efficient scoring 12 points and garnering 8 boards.

Other than Kanter though, OKC’s bench play was abysmal. OKC’s bench was outscored 42-17 by the Warriors’ bench and a primary reason OKC lost the game. Dion Waiters, Kyle Singler, Anthony Morrow, and Cam Payne combined for two made baskets on the night. Circle that with the Ibaka circle and it’s actually fairly incredible Oklahoma City had a chance to steal this game on the road.

OKC drops to 38-14 and is still exactly what we thought they would be in mid – October, namely the third or fourth best team in the NBA with two superstars named Durant and Westbrook who are fun to watch, but still not ready to win an NBA championship as the Thunder are presently constructed.

Mike Jackson